Mark McGinn’s love of the theater is literally in his blood. His father Jack (who died in 2000) started performing at Quad City Music Guild in Moline within two years of its founding in 1949, and was in dozens of shows. Mark, a 67-year-old Bettendorf resident, started with Guild at Prospect Park in 1972, playing clarinet for “Fiddler on the Roof,” and his first stage role was in 1976’s “Jesus Christ Superstar” (as one of the apostles). McGinn has since been involved in more than 70 other shows (including last summer as John Wilkes Booth in Black Box’s “Assassins” in Moline), mostly... Read More

Saturday In The Arts is a weekly look at intriguing personalities and trends on the local arts scene, presented every Saturday morning, on your site for fun, free, local entertainment and features, QuadCities.com.   October 1978 was a heavenly time to be a Billy Joel fan. Just days before I got to see “The Piano Man” live for the first time (in Milwaukee), I bought his new record, “52nd Street” at the mall, and nearly floated all the way my walk home, devouring the lyrics on the back cover. Despite the technological advances of CDs, MP3s, YouTube, and digital streaming services, many... Read More

What a difference a year makes… On June 11, 2019, I was lucky enough to be among the 11,000 or so packed into Moline’s TaxSlayer Center (11th row center on the floor) to witness the first (and possibly last) performance of Sir Paul McCartney and his band in the Quad-Cities. It was an electrifying, unforgettable night – not least of which was due to the jaw-dropping lighting and multimedia displays, including a breathtaking pyrotechnic extravaganza during “Live and Let Die.” Part of what made it so thrilling was simply being in “the room where it happened,” celebrating a musical legend... Read More

Well, fingers crossed, this past weekend began the grand re-opening of society after the covid quarantine. In some states, like Illinois, we’re not entirely 100 percent back to normal, but it’s certainly stepping in that direction. On the Iowa side, it’s full boar, all in, back to the way it was, and, again, fingers crossed that we stay that way. People are squirrelly and jacked up like spider monkeys on Mountain Dew after months of being in lockdown on social distancing protocols, and as such, it’s probably going to be a wild couple of weeks. But, as always, it’s... Read More

After 40 years of drawing crowds to Walcott, Iowa, off I-80, the annual Truckers Jamboreee will be virtual this July 9-11, including an online Antique Truck Show; Super Truck Beauty Contest; Trucker’s Best Friend Pet Contest and free meals for drivers. “The good news is we will most definitely continue with our long-standing tradition of Celebrating America’s Truckers,” Heather DeBaillie, Vice President of Marketing for the Iowa 80 Truckstop, said in a recent release. “While we can’t host 45,000 people at Iowa 80 to celebrate, we will take the Jamboree virtual and still celebrate the... Read More

The cornucopia of closures due to coronavirus keeps growing, as what was planned to be the 50th PGA Tour event in the Quad-Cities, the John Deere Classic, is canceled this July. Because of the continuing Covid-19 restrictions around events and public gatherings in the surrounding area, the 2020 JDC at TPC Deere Run in Silvis was canceled, tournament officials announced Thursday. The tournament will, however, continue its commitment to the 2020 Birdies for Charity campaign, including a promise to deliver at least a 5-percent bonus to all participating organizations. Last year, the tournament raised... Read More

Bettendorf’s Family Museum and Davenport’s Figge Art Museum have taken different approaches to re-opening after shutdowns caused by the Covid-19 crisis. Since Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds allowed museums to re-open (among other places) on May 22, the Family Museum opened that day, while the Figge will open June 9, following members-only opening June 6 and 7. Kim Kidwell, director of the Family Museum, used the two-month closure to completely clean the facility, do needed renovations and train staff in disinfecting and safety guidelines. “We have been getting ready to reopen, pretty much over the... Read More

There’s plenty of activity coming up over the next week in regard to spots opening up on both sides of the river in the Quad-Cities. According to the Chamber of Commerce: Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Tuesday announced the state will allow more businesses to reopen and mass gatherings over the next week, limiting capacity to 50%, maintaining six feet of separation between individuals and groups and adhering to hygiene and other public health measures in place. The following businesses may reopen Thursday, May 28: Bars Wineries Breweries Distilleries Social and fraternal clubs Guidelines for... Read More

Everybody loves a good Instagram wall — a great spot to use as a backdrop for your selfies and pictures — and there are some right here in the Quad-Cities. Here are six top spots to make your Instagram pop. Rust Belt – East Moline, Illinois – This spot provides an industrial and bright look with its rock star brick and sheet metal window treatment. Faithful Pilot – LeClaire, Iowa – This multicolored wall screams for a ’70s/’80s retro shoot. The muted colors are choice. Fred & Ethel’s – Rock Island, Illinois – This pocket park’s... Read More

MACOMB, IL – As the COVID-19 pandemic has altered nearly every aspect of higher education delivery, Western Illinois University College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) Dean Sue Martinelli-Fernandez has taken steps to promote work by CAS faculty and students beyond the traditional classroom. Martinelli has been working since late April with several campus offices to develop a college-based podcast series. She collaborated with the Center for Innovation in Teaching and Research, uTech and Tri States Public Radio to set up the series “CAS Chats,” which already has two episodes on file and... Read More